Text to Graphics and Back Again: Steps for Implementing the Technique
Preview the text and identify major topics or the major elements of the story as well as the organizational pattern of the text.
Illustrate the main topics or the elements of the story on a graphic organizer.
Share the graphic organizer(s) with students and ask them to orally generate language about the text.
Help students locate information from the graphic organizer in the text.
Give a blank graphic organizer to students and ask them to gill in information by reading a portion of the text.
Using information from the graphic organizers, ask students to write an essay.
Note: Ideally, by the end of the year, students will design and fill in their own graphic organizers.
Suggested Format for the Project
Culture: Cuban Language: Spanish Proficiency Level: Speech Emergence Age: 7-8 Class Setting: Mainstream Content Objective(s):
SC.2.l.16.1: Observe and describe major stages in the life cycles of plants and animals, including beans and butterflies. Language Objective: Students will use ordinal numbers to describe the life cycle of birds and fish using first, second, third and fourth. Ways of activating Background Knowledge (Questions, a game, pictures, KWL chart, etc. Be creative):
Do a picture walk of the book. We will first talk about the overall topic of life cycles and then go into more detail by talking about the life cycle of fish and birds. This will introduce animals, the life cycle of animals, as well as the vocabulary used in the book and lesson. How you teach Graphic Organizer 1 & Questions generated from the GO 1 (Graphic Organizer Activity 1):
Students will receive a copy of the life cycles concept map. A large copy of the concept map will also be displayed on a Promethean board at the front of the classroom. We will then read the first two pages in the book, which discuss life cycles. We will talk about life cycles and the life cycle diagram while emphasizing the terms "first, second, third, and fourth." The questions we created associated with the first concept map will then be discussed as a whole-group activity.
How you teach Graphic organizer 2 & Questions generated from the GO 2 (Graphic Organizer Activity 2):
Students will receive a copy of the second concept map that shows the life cycle of birds. A large copy will be displayed on a Promethean board at the front of the classroom. We will then read pages 4 and 5, which address the life cycle of birds. The questions below will then be discussed.
How you teach Graphic organizer 3 & Questions generated from the GO 3 (Graphic Organizer Activity 3):
Students will receive a copy of the third graphic organizer, which is a blank concept map for the life cycle of fish. We will then read pages 8 and 9, which address the life cycle of a fish. The students will be required to fill in the graphic organizer based on what we read in the book. Group Activity with step-by-step instructions: (Should require students to practice the language you expect them to learn.)
The teacher will ask for 2 groups of 4 volunteers to participate in the activity.
The teacher will assign one part of the human life cycle for each student to act out (Ex. baby, child, adult, and elderly person). Each group of volunteers will act out these 4 roles.
The teacher will model how to act out each of the stages in the life cycle.
The students will practice their roles.
The teacher will split the class into 2 groups of nine students. Each group of nine will contain one group of volunteers and 5 observers.
The observers will receive cards with "first, second, third" and "fourth" on them.
The volunteers will randomly perform their roles.
The observers will use the cards to label the steps of the human life cycle in the proper order.
The teacher will guide students as needed.
Written Prompt: (Should require students to use language listed in the language objectives such as sentences or words for comparison-contrast, etc. and each level)
Look at the diagram that you made. Write about the life cycle of a fish. Use first, second, third, fourth to tell what happens. Assessment: e.g. Depending on the level, students will be given a short quiz, true-false questions, matching exercise, a short essay test, a short summary of the chapter (could be a visual summary with pictures for PP and short phrases for EP).
Each student will be given a blank piece of paper. We will read pages 6 and 7 about the life cycle of reptiles. The students will work in pairs to create their own concept map based on what they read. To be successful, the students must fulfill three requirements:
The student must use "first, second, third, and fourth" in their concept map.
The student's map must accurately reflect the life cycle of a reptile.
The student's map must resemble the cyclical concept map we provided earlier in the lesson.
Peer Feedback for the Assignment
Do the graphic organizers fit the kind of information being conveyed? For example, if the information from the textbook is chronological in nature, a semantic web or a cause and effect graphic organizer would not accurately illustrate this kind of information, whereas a timeline might be more appropriate.
Are the graphic organizers clear and easy to read? Too much information on the graphic organizers? Too little information? Make specific suggestions for improving the quality of the graphic organizers.
Can the questions created to generate language/content be answered with the information provided on the graphic organizer? If not, point out which questions cannot be answered with information on the graphic organizers and make specific suggestions for improvement.
Is the writing prompt clear and easy to read? If not, make specific suggestions for improvement.
Can the writing prompt be addressed with the information provided on the graphic organizers? If not, make specific suggestions for improvement.
Rubric
Graphic organizers fit the type of information being conveyed (15 pts)
Graphic organizers are easy to read (10)
The questions created to generate language and content can be answered with the information provided on the graphic organizer (15)
The writing prompt is clear and easy to read (10)
The activity addresses the language and content objectives (15)
Text to Graphics and Back Again: Steps for Implementing the Technique
Note: Ideally, by the end of the year, students will design and fill in their own graphic organizers.
Suggested Format for the Project
Culture: Cuban
Language: Spanish
Proficiency Level: Speech Emergence
Age: 7-8
Class Setting: Mainstream
Content Objective(s):
SC.2.l.16.1: Observe and describe major stages in the life cycles of plants and animals, including beans and butterflies.
Language Objective:
Students will use ordinal numbers to describe the life cycle of birds and fish using first, second, third and fourth.
Ways of activating Background Knowledge (Questions, a game, pictures, KWL chart, etc. Be creative):
Do a picture walk of the book. We will first talk about the overall topic of life cycles and then go into more detail by talking about the life cycle of fish and birds. This will introduce animals, the life cycle of animals, as well as the vocabulary used in the book and lesson.
How you teach Graphic Organizer 1 & Questions generated from the GO 1 (Graphic Organizer Activity 1):
Students will receive a copy of the life cycles concept map. A large copy of the concept map will also be displayed on a Promethean board at the front of the classroom. We will then read the first two pages in the book, which discuss life cycles. We will talk about life cycles and the life cycle diagram while emphasizing the terms "first, second, third, and fourth." The questions we created associated with the first concept map will then be discussed as a whole-group activity.
How you teach Graphic organizer 2 & Questions generated from the GO 2 (Graphic Organizer Activity 2):
Students will receive a copy of the second concept map that shows the life cycle of birds. A large copy will be displayed on a Promethean board at the front of the classroom. We will then read pages 4 and 5, which address the life cycle of birds. The questions below will then be discussed.
How you teach Graphic organizer 3 & Questions generated from the GO 3 (Graphic Organizer Activity 3):
Students will receive a copy of the third graphic organizer, which is a blank concept map for the life cycle of fish. We will then read pages 8 and 9, which address the life cycle of a fish. The students will be required to fill in the graphic organizer based on what we read in the book.
Group Activity with step-by-step instructions: (Should require students to practice the language you expect them to learn.)
- The teacher will ask for 2 groups of 4 volunteers to participate in the activity.
- The teacher will assign one part of the human life cycle for each student to act out (Ex. baby, child, adult, and elderly person). Each group of volunteers will act out these 4 roles.
- The teacher will model how to act out each of the stages in the life cycle.
- The students will practice their roles.
- The teacher will split the class into 2 groups of nine students. Each group of nine will contain one group of volunteers and 5 observers.
- The observers will receive cards with "first, second, third" and "fourth" on them.
- The volunteers will randomly perform their roles.
- The observers will use the cards to label the steps of the human life cycle in the proper order.
- The teacher will guide students as needed.
Written Prompt: (Should require students to use language listed in the language objectives such as sentences or words for comparison-contrast, etc. and each level)Look at the diagram that you made. Write about the life cycle of a fish. Use first, second, third, fourth to tell what happens.
Assessment: e.g. Depending on the level, students will be given a short quiz, true-false questions, matching exercise, a short essay test, a short summary of the chapter (could be a visual summary with pictures for PP and short phrases for EP).
Each student will be given a blank piece of paper. We will read pages 6 and 7 about the life cycle of reptiles. The students will work in pairs to create their own concept map based on what they read. To be successful, the students must fulfill three requirements:
Peer Feedback for the Assignment
Rubric